High intensity pulsed light emitting diode (LED) treatment is a novel approach to inactivate foodborne pathogens. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antibacterial potential of high intensity 365 (UV-A) and 395 nm (NUV-Vis) LED treatments against Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica at high and low water activity (aw) conditions, and to understand the influence of different process parameters on their antibacterial efficacy. Bacteria at high (in phosphate buffer saline, PBS) and low aw (aw = 0.75) conditions were treated with both the LEDs with specific doses at a fixed distance from the LEDs. The 365 nm LED showed more effectiveness in reducing the dried bacteria compared to 395 nm LED. The dry E. coli showed more resistance to LED treatments compared to Salmonella. The 365 and 395 nm LED treatments with ~658 J/cm2 dose resulted in reductions of 0.79 and 1.76 log CFU/g of Salmonella, respectively, on 0.75 aw pet foods. The LED treatments increased the surface temperature, resulting in water loss in the treated samples. This study showed that the dose, duration of light exposure, bacterial strain, and aw played a major role in the antibacterial efficacy of the 365 and 395 nm LEDs.
Keywords: Escherichia coli; Light Emitting Diode; Salmonella; antibacterial efficacy; low-aw food.